Game-Changing Clean Technology Essential to the Energy Economy of 2035

Our energy portfolio in 2035 will come from a wide variety of sources. The core of the energy mix will be much more diverse than oil, gas, and coal. Renewables will comprise a significant portion of supply. And, over the next 20 years, improvements to batteries and other energy storage technology, and scale, will drive … Continue reading “Game-Changing Clean Technology Essential to the Energy Economy of 2035”

The Innovation Challenge: Assessing BioPharma Startups

Developing new medicines is really difficult and very expensive. A recent report, “Decline In Economic Returns From New Drugs Raises Questions About Sustaining Innovations,” suggests that the newest medicines are generating a negative rate of return across the industry. A viewpoint commonly found on the Web opines that Big Pharma has lost the ability to … Continue reading “The Innovation Challenge: Assessing BioPharma Startups”

Seattle Roundup: Icertis, Blue Origin, UW President Search, & More

This week, we’re following funding news for a Bellevue, WA-based cloud contract management company, Icertis; Blue Origin’s successful test flight of its New Shepard space vehicle; the search for a new University of Washington president; a new class of students at the Ada Developers Academy; Smartsheet’s integration with Microsoft Outlook; and university business plan competitions. … Continue reading “Seattle Roundup: Icertis, Blue Origin, UW President Search, & More”

Believe It or Not, the Government Is Driving Healthcare Innovation

Editor’s note: Jay Sultan, principal strategy advisor at Edifecs, a global health information technology solutions company, has another take on what’s driving innovation in healthcare, following our earlier Xconomist Forum post by former Providence Health and Services CEO John Koster arguing that healthcare is transforming regardless of the Affordable Care Act.  Largely missing from the … Continue reading “Believe It or Not, the Government Is Driving Healthcare Innovation”

InDemand Interpreting Obtains $3,000,000 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=5f655010-2ff4-4d1d-abc3-619ee6cca8ff Date 5/1/2015 Company Name InDemand Interpreting Mailing Address 555 Andover Park West Seattle, WA 98188 USA Company Description Qualified Medical InterpretersSince 2007, InDemand Interpreting has been working to close the language gap in healthcare. With more than half a million encounters, our team makes a difference hundreds of times a day … Continue reading “InDemand Interpreting Obtains $3,000,000 New Funding”

nLight Secures $25,333,688 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=3e40be5b-a9b2-43bd-a9b7-d9ba4533bc0f Date 5/1/2015 Company Name nLight Mailing Address 5408 NE 88th Street Vancouver, WA 98665 USA Company Description nLight develops and manufactures industry leading high-power semiconductor diode laser components and subsystems. nLight’s products feature unparalleled power, brightness, and reliability and enable a broad range of laser-based products in the industrial, medical, graphic … Continue reading “nLight Secures $25,333,688 New Funding”

Mirabilis Medica Receives $2,920,000 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=f0e0eaed-9aba-4651-895c-e02b99c3e4b1 Date 5/1/2015 Company Name Mirabilis Medica Mailing Address 18706 North Creek Parkway Bothell, WA 98011 USA Company Description Mirabilis’ patented technology employs therapeutic ultrasound under real-time guidance of imaging ultrasound. This leading-edge technology is designed to allow a physician to treat pathological tissue deep inside the body without incisions, punctures or … Continue reading “Mirabilis Medica Receives $2,920,000 New Round”

West Coast Biotech Roundup: Kythera, Amgen, Otonomy, Versant & More

West Coast news this week was dominated by thumbs. Amgen, Otonomy, and Kythera all got a regulatory thumbs-up for their products. Some thumbs were down, however. Celladon’s cardiovascular gene therapy missed two big goals in a late-stage trial. Meanwhile, San Francisco-based Versant Ventures had a big week, announcing a sale of one portfolio company in … Continue reading “West Coast Biotech Roundup: Kythera, Amgen, Otonomy, Versant & More”

Reflections on the “Build to Buy,” Part 2: The Applicability Problem

In a prior Xconomy post, I explored the unwritten and often hidden challenges of successfully navigating and completing a ‘build to buy’ acquisition. The fundamental issue that underlies those challenges is that the acquirers in these deals are not in the business of developing a single asset in a disciplined, focused manner. These buyers are … Continue reading “Reflections on the “Build to Buy,” Part 2: The Applicability Problem”

ComputeNext Garners $649,165 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=a4ead083-cc3d-47e2-af54-a1259702ff8b Date 4/30/2015 Company Name ComputeNext Mailing Address 13401 Bel Red Road Bellevue, WA 98005 USA Company Description ComputeNext a Bellevue, WA based cloud-technology Company, is pioneering the way organizations search, discover, procure and provision cloud infrastructure with their multi-cloud marketplace. As a leader in federated cloud service brokerage they enable end-to-end … Continue reading “ComputeNext Garners $649,165 New Funding”

Do “Living Buildings” Make Economic Sense for Commercial Developers?

The Bullitt Center earlier this month lived up to its billing as the world’s greenest commercial office building. It earned certification through the Living Building Challenge after a year of operations in which the six-story, timber-framed edifice—and its tenants—consumed less energy than was generated by its rooftop solar array, drew no water from the municipal … Continue reading “Do “Living Buildings” Make Economic Sense for Commercial Developers?”

Fetch Unveils Robot Duo to Adapt Warehouses for Quick-Delivery Era

Consumers are getting spoiled—not only do they want movies on demand via digital networks, they also want physical things like books and diapers delivered almost as fast. Amazon, which has fueled these consumer expectations, uses colonies of Kiva robots in automated warehouses to help achieve its fast shipping times. Modest-sized retailers and distribution centers can’t … Continue reading “Fetch Unveils Robot Duo to Adapt Warehouses for Quick-Delivery Era”

In Venture Reinvention, Versant Sees Gains Amid Biotech Boom Times

There’s not much ice in San Francisco, where I grew up, so hockey metaphors often go right over my head. But I can’t resist noting that Versant Ventures, led by a former hockey player, has made big line changes this decade to be able to skate another day, while many of its biotech venture peers … Continue reading “In Venture Reinvention, Versant Sees Gains Amid Biotech Boom Times”

Icertis Obtains $6,000,000 Series A Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=3cc653db-3ebb-4633-a298-2eb462d99a83 Date 4/29/2015 Company Name Icertis Mailing Address 14711 NE 29th Place Bellevue, WA 98007 USA Company Description Icertis is the leading provider of enterprise contract management software in the Microsoft Cloud. The company’s flagship product, Icertis Contract Management (ICM), can manage sell-side, buy-side and corporate enterprise contracts across the globe by … Continue reading “Icertis Obtains $6,000,000 Series A Financing Round”

Startups Vie for “Craigslist Killer” Title As Mobile Claims Focus

Startups have spent years trying to dethrone Craigslist as the ruler of selling used goods—and if not to dethrone, at least to capture some of its users for their apps. Now a new generation of competitors has risen up, all with the goal of converting some of the website’s 50 billion or so monthly pageviews … Continue reading “Startups Vie for “Craigslist Killer” Title As Mobile Claims Focus”

Seattle Roundup: MediaPro, LiveStories, Porch.com, SpaceView

As we noted earlier this week, it’s seemed a little quiet on the venture capital deals front so far this year. Washington saw the lowest number of VC deals in the first quarter since 1996, though many of those companies that did get funding collected bigger rounds. The picture didn’t change much this week. Here … Continue reading “Seattle Roundup: MediaPro, LiveStories, Porch.com, SpaceView”

LiveStories Obtains $1,000,000 Seed Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=f5a40b85-cfc1-4632-84be-131eae253e15 Date 4/24/2015 Company Name LiveStories Mailing Address 1904 Third Ave. Seattle, WA 98101 USA Company Description LiveStories was founded in 2013 on a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. We were tasked with the job of empowering their largest grantee, AGRA, with a tool that would help them measure … Continue reading “LiveStories Obtains $1,000,000 Seed Financing Round”

Mpirica Health Secures $1,600,000 Series A Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=59ae509e-d22d-48fb-889d-869b9bf8485a Date 4/24/2015 Company Name Mpirica Health Mailing Address 2375 130th Ave NE Bellevue, WA 98005 USA Company Description After several weeks of research, he realized that easy-to-understand and trustworthy quality information that covered U.S. hospital history of delivering successful outcomes at the procedure level was not readily available. Website http://www.mpirica.com Transaction … Continue reading “Mpirica Health Secures $1,600,000 Series A Financing Round”

Versium Analytics Obtains $300,000 New Funding

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=6f529686-b2eb-4e83-ae73-9033c997b494 Date 4/24/2015 Company Name Versium Analytics Mailing Address 7530 164th Ave NE Redmond, WA 98052 USA Company Description Versium Has Assembled Literally Billions Of Attribute Data Points On Over 240 Million Consumers And 20 Million Businesses. Website http://www.versium.com Transaction Type Debt Transaction Amount $300,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes … Continue reading “Versium Analytics Obtains $300,000 New Funding”

Bright.md Garners $2,543,106 New Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=ae04cac0-f622-485b-85ff-9f007d32a6f4 Date 4/24/2015 Company Name Bright.md Mailing Address 1536 SE 24th Avenue Portland, OR 97214 USA Company Description Bright.md was co-founded by Ray Costantini and Mark Swinth – two experienced entrepreneurs with extensive backgrounds in healthcare, business, and technology and a shared passion for transforming healthcare into what it can and should … Continue reading “Bright.md Garners $2,543,106 New Financing”

West Coast Biotech Roundup: Juno, Genervon, Tekmira, DNANexus & More

The West Coast this week is home to news about a new immuno-oncology combination, a tiny step forward in Ebola, and a whole lot of hullabaloo over a tiny L.A. biotech developing a drug for Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS). Let’s get to the roundup. —Juno Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:JUNO]]) of Seattle and the AstraZeneca (NYSE: [[ticker:AZN]]) … Continue reading “West Coast Biotech Roundup: Juno, Genervon, Tekmira, DNANexus & More”

Doctors’ Views on Connected Health Depend on How Old They Are

Two-thirds of U.S. doctors age 40 and under believe a fully connected healthcare environment will be achieved within the next five years. For those over 40, though, the proportion falls to 39 percent—and they just might be laughing at the younger generation’s naiveté. That’s one of my takeaways from a new study by MedData Group, … Continue reading “Doctors’ Views on Connected Health Depend on How Old They Are”

Chef Garners $32,000,000 Series E Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=779b70c2-694f-4cc6-87e4-3ce09e16b880 Date 4/23/2015 Company Name Chef Mailing Address 619 Western Ave. Seattle, WA 98104 USA Company Description We are Chef. We are IT automation for speed and awesomeness. We give you a model for automating IT infrastructure and applications that drive self-reliance across your development and operations teams. We are the Chef … Continue reading “Chef Garners $32,000,000 Series E Round”

Opanga Networks Obtains $406,300 New Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=d66a5f5c-4843-4cd5-85b4-c94a9dda3f9e Date 4/23/2015 Company Name Opanga Networks Mailing Address 100 S King St. Seattle, WA 98104 USA Company Description Opanga Networks, Inc is a privately held company based in Seattle, Washington. As the leading innovator of pragmatic video optimization solutions Opanga overhauls the mobile video experience for consumers while substantially improving network … Continue reading “Opanga Networks Obtains $406,300 New Round”

MediaPro Lands $5,000,000 New Funding Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=49bcfa8f-cfbf-4454-9bdc-cb31dae71e1c Date 4/23/2015 Company Name MediaPro Mailing Address 20021 120th Avenue NE Bothell, WA 98011 USA Company Description For more than two decades, MediaPro has been helping enterprises of all kinds improve the professional performance of their people. We’re passionate about our work in adult learning, and it shows in the quality … Continue reading “MediaPro Lands $5,000,000 New Funding Round”

To Find Combos, Presage Debuts Drug-Test Device In Cancer Patients

Fighting cancer often comes down to finding the right combination of drugs. But it’s difficult, impractical, and even unsafe to test ever-growing permutations of those cocktails. Presage Biosciences has been working for seven years on a new way to efficiently test anti-cancer combinations. Today the Seattle biotech reported in Science Translational Medicine that its unusual … Continue reading “To Find Combos, Presage Debuts Drug-Test Device In Cancer Patients”

Napa Summit 2015: Request Your Invite to Xconomy’s Most Elite Event

What are the forces shaping our innovation future—and who are the leaders who will build it? We can’t promise all the answers, but we can promise an unusually intimate and inspiring discussion of such questions at Xconomy’s most unique and exclusive event. It’s called the Napa Summit: The Xconomy Retreat on Technology, Jobs, and Growth—and … Continue reading “Napa Summit 2015: Request Your Invite to Xconomy’s Most Elite Event”

CenturyLink Acquires Orchestrate.io for Undisclosed Sum

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=609a75d3-bf05-4bb7-8c7b-10620c284561 Date 4/22/2015 Company Name Orchestrate.io Mailing Address Undisclosed Portland, OR 97204 USA Company Description Orchestrate, Inc was founded in 2013 by a team that has built, and helped others build, large scale web and mobile apps. We have worked with enterprises and startups alike and watched them struggle to solve the … Continue reading “CenturyLink Acquires Orchestrate.io for Undisclosed Sum”

Washington Companies Score Fewer But Larger Venture Rounds in Q1

If it seemed a little quiet in venture capital investing around here so far this year, that’s because Washington state saw the fewest deals during the first quarter since 1996. But investors bet more money on the 19 companies that did close funding rounds during the first three months of 2015. Venture capitalists put just … Continue reading “Washington Companies Score Fewer But Larger Venture Rounds in Q1”

Here’s The Agenda for Seattle Biotech Seizes The Momentum, May 6

A quick reminder that on May 6 I’ll be hosting our annual Seattle biotech forum, Seattle Biotech Seizes the Momentum, a half-day of discussion, debate, and interviews with the local community’s top biotech and life science leaders. We’ve just posted the agenda. Check it out here. The afternoon features one-on-one talks with Gary Gilliland, the … Continue reading “Here’s The Agenda for Seattle Biotech Seizes The Momentum, May 6”

Impinj Sells 10 Billion Chips, Unlocking Internet of Everyday Things

The real promise of the Internet of Things is connecting not just powered electronic devices, but the countless other everyday items that until recently have remained stubbornly isolated in the physical world. Impinj, a 15-year-old Seattle company, is doing just that with its radio frequency identification (RFID) technology—long in development and now finally achieving large-scale … Continue reading “Impinj Sells 10 Billion Chips, Unlocking Internet of Everyday Things”

Milestones of Innovation 5: Stephanie Kwolek and Kevlar

Let’s hear it for Stephanie Kwolek, a determined, observant, and playful chemist who died last year at the age of 90. She is the inventor-heroine of an artificial fiber stronger than steel called kevlar, which has saved thousands of soldiers and policemen from fatal bullet wounds and is used in everything from cellphones to skis. … Continue reading “Milestones of Innovation 5: Stephanie Kwolek and Kevlar”

Innovation Hub: Which Companies Care About the Environment?

Transforming big businesses into green businesses might seem like a thorny process. But older, established companies like Ford have the potential to ignite a new generation of environmentally friendly products, according to Andrew Winston, author of The Big Pivot. By shifting their manufacturing process—like substituting aluminum for steel, as Ford has done—such companies are able … Continue reading “Innovation Hub: Which Companies Care About the Environment?”

Seattle Roundup: Cyber Liability, Gravity Payments, Poachable, Angels

Catch up on the latest offering from the Washington Technology Industry Association, a bold move made by Gravity Payments, funding for Poachable, and companies tapped for Northwest angel investment competition finals: —The Washington Technology Industry Association (WTIA) is offering smaller companies an insurance policy to protect against damage resulting breaches of customer information. The Cyber … Continue reading “Seattle Roundup: Cyber Liability, Gravity Payments, Poachable, Angels”

Dip, But No Slowdown in First-Quarter VC Funding, & Top 10 Deals

A new MoneyTree Report being released today shows that U.S. venture capital activity eased off during the first three months of 2015. Yet it still marked the fifth consecutive quarter in which U.S. venture funding remained above $10 billion. VCs invested $13.4 billion in 1,020 deals throughout the U.S. during the first quarter of 2015, … Continue reading “Dip, But No Slowdown in First-Quarter VC Funding, & Top 10 Deals”

X2 Biosystems Garners $350,000 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=c3b888dd-1e1e-4638-984f-ff095af5cf14 Date 4/17/2015 Company Name X2 Biosystems Mailing Address 1927 Post Alley Seattle, WA 98101 USA Company Description The X2 system notifies athletic trainers, coaches, and team physicians in real time about impacts to players heads, and provides a suite of tools supporting athlete assessment in bench vs. play decisions, recovery and … Continue reading “X2 Biosystems Garners $350,000 New Financing Round”

West Coast Biotech Roundup: CRISPR, Doudna, Aduro, Amgen, NEA & More

Berkeley, CA, is famous as the birthplace of the Free Speech Movement, led by Mario Savio, and the modern foodie movement, led by godmother Alice Waters. What about the gene editing movement? Jennifer Doudna, one of the scientists behind the technology known as CRISPR/Cas9, is a biochemist at the University of California, Berkeley. She was … Continue reading “West Coast Biotech Roundup: CRISPR, Doudna, Aduro, Amgen, NEA & More”

3 Things Startups Need to Know to Move to the Cloud

Despite concerns around data security, businesses are optimistic about the cloud. In fact, software-as-a-service adoption has more than quintupled from 13 percent in 2011 to 72 percent in 2014, according to a cloud computing survey conducted by North Bridge Venture Partners and Gigaom Research. For startups, the cloud has always been a great equalizer, enabling … Continue reading “3 Things Startups Need to Know to Move to the Cloud”

Poachable Receives $750,000 Seed Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=a2b32d89-0699-4a5e-9e1a-919844c90364 Date 4/16/2015 Company Name Poachable Mailing Address 209 1/2 First Ave South Seattle, WA 98104 USA Company Description The Poachability Score predicts what recruiters will think about you. The Poachability Score system is brought to you by the same team who built Poachable, a free, anonymous career matchmaking platform. Website http://www.poachable.co … Continue reading “Poachable Receives $750,000 Seed Round”

Healthcare Is Transforming Regardless of What Happens to the ACA

Powerful arguments and emotions continue to challenge the future of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The Supreme Court, partisan ideology, presidential elections, and deeply held convictions about the role of government will all make their mark. Most healthcare leaders, however, share a fundamental belief that healthcare transformation is happening now—driven by some of the same … Continue reading “Healthcare Is Transforming Regardless of What Happens to the ACA”

Join Us May 6 at the Hutch to Discuss Seattle Biotech’s Wild Ride

Fresh off Xconomy’s most successful biotech forum ever last week in Boston, we’re getting ready to meet that challenge on May 6 in Seattle for Seattle Biotech Seizes the Momentum, a half-day of discussion, debate, and interviews with the local community’s top biotech and life science leaders. There’s so much to talk about. You can … Continue reading “Join Us May 6 at the Hutch to Discuss Seattle Biotech’s Wild Ride”

Pop That Bubble: 5 Reasons Biotech Needs A Different Metaphor

Back in April 2011, at a biotech conference in San Francisco, a panel convened to discuss how hard it was to build biotech companies that could push through long, costly clinical trials before a drug comes to market. One panelist hedged to say, well, at least the financial reticence had a silver lining: there was … Continue reading “Pop That Bubble: 5 Reasons Biotech Needs A Different Metaphor”

VC Funding Slows as Big Funds Crowd into Late-Stage Venture Deals

Following a December surge, when U.S. venture firms invested $7.2 billion in 342 deals nationwide, VC activity reset at a lower pace during the first quarter of 2015, according to data being released today by CB Insights. The New York venture capital tracker says VCs invested $11.3 billion in 805 startups over the three months … Continue reading “VC Funding Slows as Big Funds Crowd into Late-Stage Venture Deals”

Neofocal Garners $3,000,000 New Financing Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=f7284ac8-364f-4dbb-9949-01382e45884d Date 4/14/2015 Company Name Neofocal Mailing Address 10170 SW Nimbus Ave. Portland, OR 97223 USA Company Description Neofocal Systems is a privately held fabless semiconductor company producing chipsets for fine granularity LED lighting control. Website http://www.neofocal.com Transaction Type Venture Equity Transaction Amount $3,000,000 Transaction Round Undisclosed Proceeds Purposes Proceeds purposes were … Continue reading “Neofocal Garners $3,000,000 New Financing Round”

Crowd Supply Secures $585,000 Seed Round

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=12ba04f1-296f-4bc1-b500-4e67d56f0475 Date 4/14/2015 Company Name Crowd Supply Mailing Address 425 SE 11th Ave. Portland, OR 97214 USA Company Description We started Crowd Supply based on a single guiding principle: to be the product development platform we’d want to use for our own projects. As engineers and designers, we know the challenges of … Continue reading “Crowd Supply Secures $585,000 Seed Round”

Peer-to-Peer Lending Grows Up, and Gets Wall Street’s Attention

[Corrected 4/14/15, 11:31 am. See below] Borrowing money, or refinancing borrowed money, is easier now than it’s ever been as new online lenders put credit lines just a few clicks away. And now the traditional titans of Wall Street are jumping on board. In the last decade, a handful of online lending companies have chipped away … Continue reading “Peer-to-Peer Lending Grows Up, and Gets Wall Street’s Attention”

Seattle’s UIEvolution Opens Ann Arbor Office to Grow Auto Business

UIEvolution, based in Kirkland, WA, makes a technology platform for application delivery, branding, and marketing across screens found everywhere from connected cars to cruise ships. Earlier this month, it announced it has opened an office in Ann Arbor, MI, to service its automotive customers. UIEvolution was established in 2000 as a mobile app company “way … Continue reading “Seattle’s UIEvolution Opens Ann Arbor Office to Grow Auto Business”

Crowd Supply Receives $585,000 Seed Financing

Feed Type Link http://www.venturedeal.com/Search/SearchResultTransactionDetail.aspx?TransactionId=9da8c4f2-5aac-4c55-b989-15bb8362848d Date 4/13/2015 Company Name Crowd Supply Mailing Address 425 SE 11th Ave. Portland, OR 97214 USA Company Description We started Crowd Supply based on a single guiding principle: to be the product development platform we’d want to use for our own projects. As engineers and designers, we know the challenges of … Continue reading “Crowd Supply Receives $585,000 Seed Financing”